New oil heating boilers banned from 1 June

A ban on the installation of oil-fired boilers will come into force in Brussels on 1 June, meaning that old oil-fired boilers may no longer be replaced with the same system, unless an exception is granted.

An estimated 5% to 7% of heating systems in Brussels still run on fuel oil (mazout), often with appliances that are more than 25 years old.

The new regulation applies to all types of buildings, according to Brussels Environment.

It was finalised in 2021 as part of the Air, Climate and Energy Plan and is in line with European targets to phase out the use of fossil fuels.

The new rule comes on top of ones for wood-fired heating that came into effect on 1 January, which require that only wood-burning stoves and furnaces (logs, pellets, briquettes) that comply with the European Ecodesign Directive may still be installed.

The installation of second-hand stoves is also prohibited from now on, and owners of an old-generation gas boiler or water heater (also known as an ‘atmospheric’ boiler) connected to a collective chimney must carry out a feasibility study to determine whether it can be replaced by a more efficient appliance. Installation on individual chimneys has been prohibited since 2019.

Atmospheric boilers account for 26% of gas heating appliances in the Brussels region.

The installation of natural gas boilers in new buildings or equivalent projects is also prohibited under the new measures, unless an exemption is granted.

Other changes across Belgium that will come into effect on 1 June relate to products intended for the special dietary needs of babies allergic to cow’s milk protein. These products will be partially reimbursed from 1 June.

Every year, about 4,800 children are born with an allergy to cow’s milk protein, making it one of the most common food allergies in children under the age of three.

An appropriate diet, free from cow’s milk protein, is essential to ensure that infants are spared the unpleasant symptoms of this allergy during their early years, but some allergy-safe products are expensive.

The reimbursements are intended to help families bear the cost.

Another change for June is that paper service vouchers will disappear in Flanders. Service vouchers (dienstencheques) issued by the Flemish region will only be available in digital format from 1 June.

Paper vouchers already purchased can still be used for up to one year after the date of order.

The previous Flemish government decided in 2023 to phase out the paper version of service vouchers.

Users will receive a letter explaining how to order and use electronic service vouchers and a helpline will be available to assist them.

Currently, 9% of customers of the issuer Pluxee still use paper service vouchers, while 91% prefer the digital version.

The new digital system also has advantages for domestic workers, who no longer have to fill in paper cheques or run the risk of losing them.

Paper service vouchers will still be available in Wallonia and the Brussels region, where abolition is not on the agenda yet.